Los Feliz

Los Feliz

Los Feliz is an affluent and trendy neighborhood that lies just south of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is adjacent to the equally hip Hollywood and Silver Lake communities and is home to the southern face of Griffith Park. The surrounding hills feature breathtaking views from Downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean. The district is bordered by Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Hyperion Avenue to the southeast, Griffith Park to the north, the Los Angeles River to the east, and Western Avenue to the west. Griffith Park is the centerpiece of Los Feliz and is home to the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles Zoo and the Greek Theater. It also contains various children's play areas, two 18 hole golf courses, a driving range and other sports fields as well as hiking and equestrian trails in the mountains away from the residential district. At Traveltown there is a miniature railroad operated by the Los Angeles Live Steamers and a collection of railroad locomotives, passenger cars and streetcars.

Los Feliz has one of the richest histories of any area in LA. One of the first land grants in California, the land in Los Feliz was granted to Mexican Corporal José Vicente Feliz in the late 1700's. An old adobe house built in the 1830's by his heirs still stands on Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park, named for Griffith J. Griffith, who donated over half of the rancho to the city of Los Angeles, which became one of the largest city owned parks in the country. In the early 1900's some of the first movie studios opened in Los Feliz, including those of pioneering director, D.W. Griffith. Walt Disney conceived and drew his first images of Mickey Mouse in his uncle's house on Kingswell Ave where he located his first animation studio. The Griffith Observatory has been featured in many movies and there is a statue outside on the west end commemorating James Dean whose film, "Rebel Without A Cause", contains many scenes filmed at the Observatory. The neighborhood has historically been home to a high concentration of movie stars, musicians, and the Hollywood elite and boasts some of the best known residential architecture in the city, including two homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Ennis House and the Hollyhock House, and Richard Neutra'sLovell House.

Los Feliz village is home or in proximity to numerous restaurants, shops and bars. One of he famous Brown Derbyrestaurants was located here and the Dresden Restaurant on Vermont still offers old Hollywood glamor today. The Los Feliz Village Street Fair is a major community event that happens every summer and features great music, vendors, food, a carnival and tons of multiple interactive attractions that are free. The Los Feliz Farmer's Market at Vermont & Franklin offers a wide variety of produce, baked goods and other treats and the highlight is the bright yellow bus parked in front - The GASTROBUS. Their menu is created the same morning with the produce the farmers bring and they are known to have some of the best coffee in the city. Market is held Sundays from 9:00am until 2:00pm.

Residents in Los Feliz reside in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It provides the following schools for Los Feliz residents: Los Feliz Elementary School (K-5 school), Franklin Elementary School (K-5 school, California Distinguished), King Middle School and John Marshall High School and John Marshall Gifted Magnet. Private schools include the Lycée International de Los Angeles, a bilingual (French/English) school founded in 1978, and Immaculate Heart High School, a private Catholic high school for girls, established in 1906. The neighborhood is also served by a library, the Los Feliz Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. It is located in Los Feliz Village.